Miracles and Wonder

The Historical Mystery of Jesus

De: Elaine Pagels

Narrado por: Eunice Wong

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From a renowned National Book Award–winning scholar, an extraordinary new account of the life of Jesus that explores the mystery of how a poor young man inspired a religion that reshaped the world.

“This is a brilliant and necessary book. Sober, wise, respectful, and fearless." —Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America

"Pagels’s story is for believers and non-believers alike.” —Tara Westover, author of Educated

"The depth of spirituality she uncovers is profound.” —The New York Times Book Review

Early in her career, Elaine Pagels changed our understanding of the origins of Christianity with her work in The Gnostic Gospels. Now, in the culmination of a decades-long career, she explores the biggest subject of all, Jesus. In Miracles and Wonder she sets out to discover how a poor young Jewish man inspired a religion that shaped the world.

The book reads like a historical mystery, with each chapter addressing a fascinating question and answering it based on the gospels Jesus's followers left behind. Why is Jesus said to have had a virgin birth? Why do we say he rose from the dead? Did his miracles really happen and what did they mean?

The story Pagels tells is thrilling and tense. Not just does Jesus comes to life but his desperate, hunted followers do as well. We realize that some of the most compelling details of Jesus's life are the explanations his disciples created to paper over inconvenient facts. So Jesus wasn't illegitimate, his mother conceived by God; Jesus's body wasn't humiliatingly left to rot and tossed into a common grave—no, he rose from the dead and was seen whole by his followers; Jesus isn't a failed messiah, his kingdom is a metaphor: he lives in us. These necessary fabrications were the very details and promises that electrified their listeners and helped his followers' numbers grow.

In Miracles and Wonder, Pagels does more than solve a historical mystery. She sheds light on Jesus's enduring power to inspire and attract.

Meh

The search for the essence of Christianity to me ended up being a bit of a let down. It starts strong, but closes with a lot of time spent on things like whether resurrected Jesus was a zombie or a ghost.

Not really "astonishing"

I found the author's repeated expression of astonishment a bit silly. Most undergraduates and many high school students from the last 30 years would share none of her "astonishment" at finding there are differences in the Gospel accounts. However, her overall analysis is quite good -- she provides good historical context for the Gospels and weaves in interesting observations from other historical sources, including the Apocryphal Gospels. I also found her openness to a Spiritual meaning in scripture, one that is not dependent upon exact historical accuracy, to be refreshing. Most believers today are mature enough to accept the historical inaccuracies or discrepancies in accounts of Jesus, without it risking their underlying faith in the Christian enterprise. The narrator had a somewhat annoying habit of raising her intonation at the end of many thoughts. At times, the narrator sounded a bit like a know-it-all college professor lecturing a freshman class. It wasn't overly painful, but I was surprised to learn it wasn't the author reading the text, but someone hired for their presumed talent.

Interesting history

Really liked the history. If one is looking for spiritual insight in light of the historical study, that may not be found here beyond common platitudes

An insightful read into Jesus Christ

This really opened my eyes to the world that surrounded Jesus. This made Jesus more human relatable rather than the washed version of Jesus always wearing white robes and having a soft voice like the white Michael Jackson. Jesus wasn’t just some untouchable spirit in human form. Jesus really came and experienced what it was like to be human. The world around him influenced how he taught and how he died. I once thought the cross was reserved for Jesus only. If Jesus was born in the 1700s or 1800s, he’d probably be hanged or killed by gun fire. Which makes me question if we should wear crosses. If Jesus died by the gun would we be wearing gun necklaces?

Uncomplicated

Nothing about this book is complicated. Pagel's gifted rendering of the story of Jesus makes loving Him that much more real. As she makes clear, His presence has been consistent for thousands of years so it doesn't matter which version of the truth to believe.